The man loves coffee. For years, for his entire life, he has drunk it every morning and enjoyed it. He loves the warm sensation on his tongue, the flavor that lingers in his mouth, and the obvious mental boost he relies on to work. He considers himself a connoisseur of the drink, just as he believes in the real benefits it brings to his daily life. In short: coffee makes him happy. Then comes the day when he tastes a superior-quality coffee that leaves his palate in ecstasy. When he returns to the old coffee he used to drink, he clearly realizes it is rubbish. He investigates the matter and discovers that it is indeed rubbish, in which real coffee, though made from lower-quality beans, is mixed with a wide variety of impurities, including some too unspeakable to name, and the whole lot is over-roasted to mask its defects. From that day forward, the same coffee, the drink he once cherished so much and which had brought him pleasure his whole life, will never satisfy him again. And philosophy, as it always does, poses the question: is knowledge worth it?
Tag: behavior
Since Most of Our Time Is Always Devoted…
Since most of our time is always devoted to trivial matters, it should be easier to convince our minds of the need to try to imbue them with meaning. If only! What happens most often is that we see them all as nuisances, as boundless nonsense that erodes our time and motivation. In short, true existence seems to be limited to those rare moments when reason grasps the importance of what one is doing—and this, certainly, cannot be allowed to remain as it is.
Above All, It Is Essential to Banish…
Above all, it is essential to banish the possibility of despair and shield oneself in advance against this undesirable and potentially fatal trap. And then to learn to deal with guilt, death, discouragement, and suffering, always seeking to draw something good from them. Misfortune, as has been said, often comes in pairs; but it also opens a door, and it will always be that way.
Anyone Who Lacks the Desire for Agreement…
Anyone who lacks the desire for agreement, nor strives to prove others wrong and himself right, is bound to be an outsider. Such an individual will never adapt to any environment, though he may participate superficially in any of them. Identification, however, is impossible for him, and no one will be able to see in him a kindred spirit. Such impulses are components of normal human relationships: they unite and separate, but ultimately they categorize; to lack them is to shield oneself from any connection.